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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will take on Bangladesh today, Thursday, at the Asia Cup 2025 Super Four decider in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said.

The Asia Cup is being played in the Twenty20 format from Sept. 9-28.

Three teams including Pakistan, India and Bangladesh remain in the tournament following the elimination of Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Oman, the UAE and Hong Kong.

Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by five wickets this week in the Abu Dhabi clash and will compete with Bangladesh for the final spot against India.

“The Pakistan cricket team has arrived in Dubai for its match against Bangladesh,” the PCB said in a social media post a day earlier.

“The match between Pakistan and Bangladesh will begin tomorrow at 6:30pm local time.”

Pakistan hasn’t won two matches in a row in this tournament so far.

The Green Shirts last played Bangladesh in June and beat them during the latter’s tour to Pakistan.

India and Pakistan have met twice in this edition of the regional competition, but the neighbors have never played against each other in an Asia Cup final.

If both teams reach the final, India will once again start as strong favorites having won 12 of 15 T20Is between the two countries.

India have also won the last seven internationals against Pakistan since September 2022, including four T20Is and three one-day internationals.

Squads:

Pakistan (probable): Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha (captain), Hussain Talat, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed

Bangladesh (probable): Tanzid Hasan, Saif Hassan, Litton Das (captain and wicketkeeper), Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Jaker Ali, Rishad Hossain, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman

KARACHI: Pakistan has announced the resolution of Rs1.225 trillion ($4.29 billion) in power sector circular debt, said an official statement on Thursday, a move officials described as a landmark step to restore stability in the country’s troubled energy market.

Federal Power Minister Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari, addressing a ceremony televised nationally, said the agreement was aimed at breaking the debt cycle that has long weighed on the sector.

“The circular debt has long burdened Pakistan’s energy sector,” he said. “Today, this circular debt scheme is a bold step to break that cycle, restore stability and provide relief to our consumers.”

He added that the restructuring was part of a broader reform plan rather than an isolated measure.

“Previously, only the financial cost of the debt was being serviced, a stopgap that never addressed the real issue,” he added. “Now, a burden of Rs1,225 billion in circular debt is going to be settled without falling on the exchequer or on consumers. This will strengthen the liquidity of the sector.”

The finance ministry said in a statement the plan was executed with the support of 18 commercial banks, coordinated through the Pakistan Banks Association and backed by the State Bank of Pakistan.

The circular debt had become one of the most serious drags on the economy, repeatedly flagged by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) during its engagements with the government.

The announcement of financing comes ahead of the expected arrival of an IMF mission for the second economic performance review under a $7 billion program.

The government said the deal involves restructuring Rs660 billion ($2.31 billion) in existing loans and arranging Rs565 billion ($1.98 billion) in fresh financing to clear overdue payments to power producers.

Repayments will be covered by an already levied surcharge of 3.23 rupees ($0.011) per unit of electricity, avoiding new charges for consumers.

The package also frees up Rs660 billion ($2.31 billion) in sovereign guarantees, which the government said will channel liquidity toward agriculture, small and medium-sized businesses, housing, education and health care.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif joined the ceremony by video link from New York, where he is attending the UN General Assembly.

He called the debt workout a major achievement, adding that the government’s next steps would be privatizing power distribution companies and tackling line losses in the grid.